Former Columbus Ward 2 city councilman and vice mayor Joseph Mickens was arrested after a Lowndes County grand jury indicted him on charges of laundering a monetary instrument and offering inducements to influence the award of contracts, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office said a co-defendant, Marcus Trent Dawson Sr., owner of HVAC & Mechanical Co. LLC, was also indicted and taken into custody. The Mississippi State Auditor’s Office conducted the investigation and presented it to the Lowndes County Grand Jury in July, the sheriff’s office said.
According to the allegations in the indictment, Mickens and Dawson engaged in a scheme to defraud the public by manipulating the municipal contracting process to secure flooring contracts for Mickens, for which he was allegedly not legally eligible, in exchange for future city-awarded HVAC contracts for Dawson and cash payments they conspired to launder.
Mickens began serving as Columbus Ward 2 city councilman on July 6, 2009, and served consecutive four-year terms until his tenure concluded on June 30, 2025, after he was defeated by Rodrick Smith, the sheriff’s office said. Following his arrest, Mickens was transported to the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center, where he remains in custody pending an initial appearance.
The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office said it will continue to assist the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office and the district attorney’s office as the investigation and prosecution proceed. The charges are allegations, and both Mickens and Dawson are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
